We arrived at Universal one summers afternoon just as the storm clouds opened, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before they moved off we parked the car and decided to make our way along the walkways from the car park. Well lets say that the storm didn’t move off as quickly as we hoped so we were stuck there for a little while as it was raining that hard it wasn’t worth getting wet for, but true to style the rain relented and we made our way toward Islands of Adventure.

However before we made it Margaritaville called us over, as it was still a little wet we went in and decided to have a margarita.  We had promised ourselves that we would try one this year.

It was early in the afternoon, no plans of driving until that evening so we thought why not? Having never tried a margarita before it was going to be an experience.

We were pleasantly surprised by the great welcome we got from the bartender who said it was fine for our boys to sit at the bar, it was quiet but we are used to “no children” at the bar attitude that it made a lovely change, to sit there and chat to a “local” so we sat down and perused the menu. Gosh what a choice? I can’t remember which 3 margaritas we chose but they were all very different and had great names. Next came “sugar or salt”? Sorry? Around the glass would you like “Sugar or Salt”? My sister and husband chose salt but I chose sugar and I think I made the right chose but that comes down to the individual’s choice. WOW, that first sip nearly took my head off, I wasn’t expecting it to be that strong, thank goodness we were going to have a lazy afternoon at the park. For some reason my sister decided against the Hulk that afternoon, (me I never go on it) I wonder why??

What was nice was that the boys could eat at the bar whilst we took it easy with the drinks, play on a bar game like skittles and we could all relax. My 13 year old has asked to return next year for a meal, so perhaps we will have to try another margarita?

This is not your typical Florida golf course! Highlands Reserve offers remarkable scenery along with a course designed for great golf. This championship Mike Dasher design gives you pine tree-lined fairways reminiscent of the Carolinas, open spacious fairways likened to the great Scottish courses, and a bit of old Florida with citrus trees along the countryside. Large, fast, undulating greens make this course challenging and fun for all levels of golfers. Conveniently located just minutes from Disney and all major attractions, Highlands Reserve Golf Club is a Central Florida favourite! 

Mystic Dunes Golf Club at The Palms - For Tee Times Call - (407) 787-5678

PGA Tour player and NBC golf analyst Gary Koch designed this scenic challenging course located at the Wyndham Palms Resort, just minutes from Walt Disney World. The “low country” front nine is reminiscent of classic Carolina courses, meandering through wetlands and marsh; the Scottish links-style back nine features extensive mounding, large pot bunkers and expansive waste areas. The club also boasts an expansive driving range, exquisite clubhouse, and the GPS Par View system on all carts.

 Legends Golf & Country Club - For Tee Times Call (352) 243-1118

The Legends golf course is one of the finest accomplishments of famous course designer Lloyd Clifton. This beautifully manicured Clifton-Ezell-Clifton 18 hole course stretches 6911 yards from the gold tees and is a test of any golfer’s skills at a par 72 with a Slope Rating of 130 and a Course Rating of 72.9. 

Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge - For Tee Times Call (407) 656-2626

You do not have to be a great player to enjoy Orange County National; you just have to Love Golf! A Lot of golf! Orange County National has 45 fabulous holes, on 922 beautiful acres of unspoiled rolling terrain. Pure Golf, the way it was meant to be played, in peace and tranquillity with nothing to distract your game except the rugged natural beauty of your surroundings. You will feel a million miles from anywhere; yet will be just a few miles from Disney, the convention centre and all the entertainment Orlando has to offer.

When the evening arrived we headed off to the Sharpe Aquos theatre at Universal.

My wife and children had no idea what to expect but they thoroughly enjoyed the 1 hour 45 minute performance (note there is no intermission during the show so make sure the kids have visited the rest rooms before the performance begins).

Without giving too much away to anyone who wants to see the show it includes interactive plumbing, paint-filled drumming, marshmallow art, mini-cam shenanigans, cereal crunching, a rock concert movement primer, funny sign reading, paint spitting, a romantic Twinkie dinner, and lots and lots of percussion music from the men in Black clothes and of course Blue faces. They also use members of the audience in some of there sketches. Four musicians performing high over the stage look like colourful Day of the Dead skeletons, and complement the onstage percussion.

The show is appropriate for all ages, although it may be a little too intense for the youngest tots, Blue Man Group plays with sound, light, and perception and do not say a single word throughout the performance Strobe lights are used twice during the show, plus simultaneous music and streamers (100 percent recycled), and the three performers literally stroll on top of the auditorium seats, all of could be a little overwhelming for more sensitive audience members. The first four rows have plastic ponchos provided as splashguards against the paint, food, and other goodies that come flying from the stage.

The show should thoroughly entertain just about everyone. Not recommended for children under the age of three, the Blue Man Group show lasts for one hour and forty-five minutes with no intermission. Although the ticket price does not include admission to the theme park, ticket stubs do provide free entry into selected clubs at City Walk.

If you’re going to Orlando, don’t miss this show.

Our family villa is located on the Indian Point sub division in Kissimmee and is only 8 miles from the Disney World theme parks. As most people don’t know much about Kissimmee itself, here is a little information about the City and it’s history.

Kissimmee is 17 miles S of Orlando, and 68 miles E of Tampa.  It’s located in Osceola County in Central Florida along the shore of Lake Tohopekaliga, which is locally referred to as Lake Toho. It has a large Hispanic population which includes a large number of Puerto Ricans.

Kissimmee History

The area was established in the mid-19th century and was known as Allendale. Kissimmee was incorporated as a city in 1883. Hamilton Disston was mainly responsible for the initial growth of the municipality. His large drainage business was located in Kissimmee. Disston had a contract with Florida to drain the southern portion of the state, in return for owning half of the acreage he successfully drained.He also deepened the Kissimmee River, so products could be shipped into the Gulf of Mexico and points beyond and  became one of the largest single landowners in the nation.

The Kissimmee shipyard produced steamboats to transport people as well as goods for Disston’s dredging and land speculation enterprises. The steamships lost a significant amount of business due to the popularity of trains for transporting people and goods. The Kissimmee area became a prominent location for raising cattle.

In 1884 W.B. Makinson, Sr. opens Makinson Hardware in downtown Kissimmee, which remains Florida’s oldest operating hardware store.

 Disney World opened in 1971 and tourism and development became the main factors for the economy and the cattle industry decreased in importance.

 In 2004 (while our family were at our villa) Hurricane Charlie caused major damage to homes and buildings. Luckily our villa only suffered superficial damage.

Kissimmee Activities

The Osceola County Softball Complex is a popular location and includes five quality softball fields. The Austin-Tindall Regional Park is popular for sports activities.

The city features a large water park and numerous golf courses including Kissimmee Golf Club, Ginn Reunion Resort Golf Course and Kissimmee Oaks Golf Club.

 Excellent fishing opportunities are available at Lake Toho.

Visitors have opportunities to take a tour of the region’s working cattle ranches and the Boggy Creek wetlands.

Close by, Lake Buena Vista is popular for outdoor activities. The Kissimmee Chain of Lakes is well known for its largemouth bass fishing. Residents and visitors can easily take day trips to Melbourne Beach and other shoreline destinations.

Kissimmee Attractions

• Oldtown.
• Osceola Centre for the Arts.
• Osceola County Historical Society & Museum.
• The Houston Astros participate in Spring Training in Kissimmee at the Osceola County Stadium.
• Silver Spurs Arena is popular for concerts and other events.
• Warbird Museum restores World War II aircraft to flying condition. Tours are available of the work shops, planes and aircraft which are being restored.
• Osceola County Historic Courthouse.
• A world of Orchids.
• Green Meadows Petting Farm.
• Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf.
• Jungleland Zoo.

I am lucky that I can spend 5 weeks out in Florida with my sister and my 2 boys, my husband will come over for almost 3 weeks but unfortunately due to work he can not come out for longer which is a shame.

We will do the normal Florida home-owners visit, work at the villa touching up the paintwork, replacing bedding and any other items that are warn out or tired.

Then the fun begins.

We will spend a few days at Universal Studio’s and Island of Adventure a favourite for all the family. Although I don’t like roller coasters I come in very handy when the rest of the family go on a ride and leave me with the bag, sunglasses and hats The Florida Pack mule I call myself, I don’t mind as I love to see them enjoy themselves and I do have fun and go on rides that I like.

Well last year whilst at Universal Studio’s my husband said that he wanted to see “The Blue Man Group” but unfortunately we ran out of time so we said perhaps next year.

Well earlier this year I looked for tickets and there were only on sale until May so I initially thought that they were finishing in May, but yes you’ve guessed they have of course added more dates during the year. However, I told my husband a little white lie and told him that they finished in May he was devastated. This enabled me to surprise him as I have since booked seats for us all the weekend before he leaves, which is just a week before our wedding anniversary and only my sister and I know. Only last week my husband said, “I can’t believe The Blue Man Group has stopped.” Hope he enjoys the surprise.

Then not to be out done a couple of weeks ago my sister decided to book us all a day at Discovery Cove as this year maybe the last time we are all out together as my eldest son starts work in September and will only get 2 weeks holiday during  August and this looks like it will be after his father returns back to work. Yet again we have kept this quiet.

My sister and I have made cards inviting them to Discovery Cove just 2 days after my Husband arrives and we can’t wait to see the boys faces when they open them, they won’t believe it as we said we would not return until the dollar got back to 2 to the pound.

We choose a villa a Bradenton, which would be a good base to explore the area. Bradenton was an ideal location to visit not only the numerous beaches around but also Busch Gardens.

A favourite for the whole family was Anna Maria Island.

Driving along the coast road from Bradenton Beach to Holmes Beach and then onto the northern tip was Anna Maria Island.

On arrival at Anna Maria Island we found free car parking just along from the South Pier, across the road was a small shopping mall with restaurants, clothes shops and an Ice Cream Parlour.

We wandered along the pier and found at the end a restaurant, outside seating and people fishing. Our Boys who were 13 and 10 wanted to join in. This was not a problem as the Pier had a bait shop which not only sold bait but hired out fishing rods by the hour. So for a few dollars we had and lovely afternoon with the boys fishing. The adults were happy sitting in the glorious sunshine enjoying a cold drink which were also readily available from the bait shop.

After a couple of hours we decided to visit the Ice Cream Parlour “Two Scoops” to cool down and then make our way back home. The boys loved this unexpected experience that they asked to return the next day.

We decided that we would go to Wal-Mart to purchase rods, which they could keep. New rods in hand we returned to the pier the very next day.

Whilst there we even caught sight of many Dolphins, Sting Rays, Pelicans and various Fish on the end of the rods.

The locals at the bait shop, restaurant and pier were most welcoming, friendly and chatty. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and plan to return next year. We would recommend a visit along to Anna Maria island whether you want to fish are just laze on the beautiful white sandy beach.

Wal-Mart Supermarket

Locations –

1.        Corner of 192 and Bass Road Close to the villa.

2.        Corner of North Poinciana Boulevard and 535 (near The Official Ticket Center)

Target Supermarket.

 Please note Super Targets sell fresh food

Locations –

1.      Super Target between 192 Market 13 and 12 past Sam’s club

2.      Target - East on Highway 192 on left near K Mart and Home Depot.

Publix Super Market

Locations –

Corner of 192 and 535 (marker 12) in the Shopping Plaza

Between Marker 8 and Marker 9 near and on the same side as Bennigan’s

Restaurants & Fast Food Outlets

These are just a small selection of Restaurants along the Highway 192

Before Marker 15

Outbacker Steak House -Casual dining steak restaurants with an atmosphere suggestive of the rustic Australian outback

Between Markers 13 and 12

Applebee’s - Applebee’s® was founded in Atlanta, Georgia, by Bill and T.J. Palmer. The Palmers envisioned a restaurant that would provide full service, consistently good food, reasonable prices and quality service in a neighbourhood setting.

Between Markers 12 and 11

Smokey Bones - Smokey Bones has a wide variety on their menu. There is the “traditional” (usually slow-smoked) barbeque menu, including burgers, chicken and BBQ Baby Back and St. Louis Ribs, as well as a line of salads, other non-barbeque entrees, and desserts.

Cattleman’s Steak House

Taco Bell

Pizza Hut

Between Markers 11 and 10

Perkins - Family restaurants that feature in-store bakeries and serve a variety of distinctive entreés

Ramono’s Macaroni Grill - serves a wide variety of Italian food and offers a children’s menu.

Cracker Barrel Store & Restaurant

Uno Pizzeria, Restaurant – Famous for Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza but also offer a varied menu

Chili’s Grill & Bar, Restaurant - Offers both Mexican style food and typical American food. Includes fajitas, quesadillas, salads, baby back ribs, buffalo wings, grilled shrimp

Longhorn Steak House – Capture the flavour and fun of the wild west. Great steaks, burgers and fresh salads. We really enjoy the fresh bread delivered to your table.

Between Markers 9 and 8

Bennigans - Neighbourhood American tavern with an Irish twist, includes appetizers, sandwiches, steaks and lots more.

Logan’s Roadhouse – Well known for mesquite-grilled steaks, chicken, fresh burgers, baby-back ribs, seafood, and specialty salads. Enjoy the bottomless buckets of in-shell peanuts.